Whenever Blizzard mentions a new Diablo, fans typically have one reaction—they joke about how long it’ll take to release. But after that, it’s mostly excitement as the series has a very good track record. Blizzard did change the game, though, when it revealed that the fourth entry in the long-running Diablo series would be an always-online action RPG set in an open world riddled with world bosses and the series’ staple procedurally generated dungeons and hordes of horrifying demons and monsters.
Diablo IV entered into open beta in March, and players had the opportunity to play through the Prologue, Act 1, and the Fractured Peaks area of Sanctuary. Split into two weeks, the beta unlocked the Sorcerer, Barbarian, and Rogue during week 1 of the beta and added the Necromancer and Druid during week 2. Unfortunately, any progress made was wiped at the close of the beta, which causes a mixed bag of emotions. On one hand, getting each character to level 25 was quite a bit of fun, and having to do it again doesn’t feel like a chore. On the other, it’s easy to get attached to your build, and losing them stings a little.
However, the beta did as was intended—it set expectations for the game’s June release date. And though Blizzard does have a few tweaks to make, the expectations for the final release are rather high as Diablo IV’s beta build rarely stumbled. But it’s worth noting that the GaaS element wasn’t in full swing, and that’s proving to be the game’s greatest point of pre-release contention.
Diablo Goes GaaS
As much as I enjoyed the beta, there was a perpetual black cloud that hung over it. Diablo IV is a “Games as a Service” title, and it’s releasing after a number of GaaS games shut their doors, instilling doubt in the concept. Being a Blizzard title—and more specifically a Diablo game—the likelihood that it will be scrapped so early into its life is unlikely, but you have to question if the possibility is there. And if it’s not early in the game’s life, at what point does Blizzard set aside new content and let the game die out? For GaaS titles, it’s almost inevitable.
I tried not to let that get in the way of my time in the beta, and when I did push it to the recesses of my mind, I found myself immersed in exactly what I expected—another good Diablo game.
Familiar Characters, New Approach
If you’ve played Diablo before, then all of the playable characters will be familiar. I tinkered with every class but leaned very heavily into the Necromancer. Before getting into how each of the five classes felt, Diablo IV added a deep character creation tool that you could easily spend an hour in. Not only are the details very appropriate for the world, such as bone necklaces and not-too-bright hair, but the texturing also looks incredible for a model that’s mostly seen from a top-down view.
You’ll find that Blizzard didn’t skimp on details throughout the entire beta experience, with worlds that are somehow richer than Diablo III. But it’s the characters that really drove home the potential this game has.
As the Necromancer, you may recognize abilities from Diablo III, such as a corpse explosion and summoning a skeleton army. It’s evident very early on that the Necromancer is absolutely overpowered, capable of clearing rooms with little effort thanks to their horde of minions. Blizzard is bound to nerf the character some, but a game like this is all about balance, and that’s a big concern. Because you’re meant to explore Sanctuary with a companion, some of the other classes felt like they relied heavily on a complementary hero. For example, the ranged sorcerer was fun to unleash magical hell with, but more difficult sections would likely require a brutish melee character like the Druid or the Barbarian.
It may take a little time after release before everything feels cohesive, but as the Necromancer proves, there are still plenty of adjustments to be made.
Looting for Success
While a character’s skills and abilities are the core of their strength, Diablo IV was sure to carry over the series’ penchant for loot. And just like in Diablo III, there is a ton of loot to be had. The difference in Diablo IV, though, is that you may actually be inclined to tinker with gear sets to build the perfect demon-slaying hero.
In the game’s predecessor, there was little incentive to explore builds. You’d find a decent selection of armour and weapons and keep it until something significantly better came along. Diablo IV rewards experimentation. It also makes experimentation easier with tooltips that auto-adjust based on what’s equipped.
Different characters have different item slots, as well. Whereas the Barbarian and Rogue can equip secondary weapons and use them on the battlefield in conjunction with related skills, the necromancer just has an off-handed slot for something to boost their dark magic.
A More Adult Story
Diablo has always had a dark tone to it, but there’s always been a hint of ridiculous dialogue or plot elements that bring it down some. Diablo IV is not really shaping up to offer the same, instead taking a much darker route for the introduction of Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto.
With Sanctuary no long oppressed by angels and demons, Lilith emerged to take the opportunity to assert her position and build a new army. Sanctuary is sucked into madness, demons are let loose, and that’s where you come in.
The world is full of NPCs, and there’s a lot of great material to digest if you wish. Some characters really have nothing to offer, though, despite being a main part of a quest. If you do sit and chat with them, though, a little more care seems to have been put into Diablo IV’s script.
A Promising Start to a Controversial Idea
Diablo IV shouldn’t be as anticipated as it is, considering it’s a live-service game, but Blizzard has hit one out of the park so far. It may have only been a beta, but it’s a good indicator of what’s to come.
We’ll see how the PvP element plays out in the final build and just how detrimental the always-online requirement winds up being (if at all). Teaming up to take down world bosses will be undeniably fun, it’s just a matter of how well GaaS winds up fitting in the Diablo IV universe.
Anyways, be sure to load up on PSN Gift Cards from OffGamers here for when the game releases in June 2023.
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